Helpful Changes

Well, it has been a busy month. Sorry for the lack of posts!

At the start of our term, I made a few changes to how we are doing things, and I've been very happy with how things have gone so far!

First off, I was given a copy of the Accountable Kids book - and made myself handmade sets. We are still only in Stage 1 of the 4 stage system, but we have been having some fairly good results. Delta earns most of his tickets. Echo sometimes earns some, sometimes doesn't. Foxtrot also earns some... she is technically a bit too young for the program.

Second - Although I had been using the Simply Charlotte Mason Organizer for about a year, I recently made a change that has been helping. I'm now printing off the daily plan for Delta and Echo, and putting them in a planner for them. I highlight each item that I think they should be able to do on their own (not many at this stage, but usually a couple...). They get out their planners, and pick what they are going to do next - based a bit on my availability. I do sometimes have to remind them to mix-it-up so that they don't end up with all the readings at the end.... They get to check things off as they finish things - and it seems to give them a feeling of accomplishment. The general idea of planners and a bit more independant learning was from URtheMom.com

Third - I now plan our weekly schedule to be mostly accomplished between Monday and Thursday. (with a math lesson on Friday...) Yes, this makes a little more work each day, but it has done wonders! Why? Well, if the weeks work has been all done, then we have a "Wild Day". If not, then we get it done on Friday. (if still not done, we can do some on Saturday too...) So, our Wild Day involves getting out of the house and going wild. Many weeks it will include Nature Study, and/or Scouting activities. On other occasions, it may be a field trip, or other fun activity. Today there was a blizzard - so we drove carefully to the conservatory and had a picnic in the tropics! We have also gone swimming, and in the spring I look forward to hikes and other fun outside activities.

Between all these things, homeschool activities have gone a lot easier. The kids are more motivated to get things done, and we have found time again for the fun activities I've been missing (and I'm sure they have too.)

Parable of the Wolves

A long time ago there were 2 wolf packs. Each wolf pack was very small, each consisting of one Alpha male, a "mother" wolf, and their cubs.

Although the two packs were fairly far away, the 2 alpha dogs would occasionally get together to talk about how things were going.

At this time, the cubs were very young, and were not skilled at hunting. They played at it a lot, and would always be asking to go. As the Alpha wolves were talking, the one said "The cubs can get pretty annoying. They are always wanting to go hunting with me, but they are so young that I know they can't hunt. Besides, they would slow me down and I wouldn't be able to catch anything as they would scare it all away." The other wolf said "Yes, they can be annoying at times. They do tend to scare game away, so sometimes I do hunt on my own.... but most of the time I take them with my anyway. It is harder, and we catch less. It is tiring, but I think it will be worth it. Each time I try to show them something about hunting.

A couple of years went by before the Alpha wolves met again. The cubs were now young wolves. This time, the first one said "Boy, our young adult wolves are sure lazy! They sit around and won't help me hunt but expect me to do everything! I am getting old, and it is getting harder to hunt, but they expect me to do all the work. On top of it, some are getting into trouble. The other wolf said, "Hm, that is strange. Many of our young adult wolves are getting to be very good hunters. They hunt along side me, and when I was injured a month ago, they took care of everything."

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This was a story I learned a number of years ago when I took training in being a Scout Leader. It is one that I took to heart while I was a Scout Leader and later a Guide Leader. Generally when I was in charge of a new Troop, it was hard work. For instance, teaching several patrols how to cook over a camp stove was much harder than having a few adults or leaders cook for everyone. But after a couple of years, the troop would be working well, and the older Scouts or Guides would even be teaching the younger ones. I remember how my Guides (9 to 11 yo girls) would be camping - cooking their own food, chopping wood (not all), fetching water, doing dishes, putting up their own tents, etc - while I mainly helped any minor problems.

I have to admit that this concept was easier to implement with Scouts and Guides (ie, other people's kids) than it is with my own kids.... especially since I am teaching them ALL of life skills and not just a select portion of skills in one stage of life like it was in Scouting/Guiding. I hope I succeed, as I really think it is part of the idea of Charlotte Mason's concept of Habit Training. I hope that at some point I will have my "smooth and easy days".

Tomato Staking

Ok, I have recently been doing some reading on a parenting practice called Tomato Staking. I have to admit, that I have mostly been reading from a website called Raising Godly Tomatos. This particular website seems very controversial, and I'm still trying to decide what I think about it. A lot of the ideas seem to fit in with ideas from Charlotte Mason - but I am thinking that the way this site does it just doesn't feel right. I do need to look at other information about the general idea.

Tomato Staking seems to be mainly keeping your children with you almost all the time, so that they aren't getting into trouble. The website I mentioned uses it to train their children in total obedience - and done with a good attitude. They do use spanking.

So, here are my thoughts so far. I think that Tomato Staking, as far as keeping your children near you while training makes a lot of sense. I see this as doing the family chores together, having all the children in the same room while doing schooling, etc. I do think that children need to have time on their own while playing - but if there are problems, bring them back.

I do like the practice on obedience - figuring out what you want the child to do when you call, and have them do it over and over until they do it right - for example. I guess I just worry about anything that demands total obedience without thought. Yes, children generally should be obeying their parents without question.... assuming the parents aren't asking anything wrong of them. But obeying other adults takes more thought for the children. I don't want a child so obedient that they are in danger - or adults that are so obedient that they will do things morally wrong on an order. (I'm thinking here of soldiers obeying a command that is from a superior - but is just plain wrong.) Obedience takes thought - because a part of being human is knowing when not to obey.

Anyway - Tomato Staking is something I'm going to be doing more research on - and a LOT of praying.